In operation of an integrated circuit, some of the devices in the integrated circuit will generate heat. This is particularly true for some types of devices, including, for example, resistors. Also, some devices in integrated circuits are susceptible to heat and may have certain electrical characteristics negatively influenced by heating. Heating effects can be especially harmful to high precision devices, where the heating effects ruin the precision with which the particular device operates.
For example, a high precision resistor, which is designed to carry a relatively large amount of current, will generate substantial amounts of heat. The heat generated by the precision resistor will heat the resistor itself (“self-heating”) thereby altering the resistance of the high precision resistor. The self-heating effects experienced by an integrated circuit device can be further exacerbated by the integrated circuit device being surrounded by a poor heat conductor which impedes heat dissipation. Typically, electrical insulators which also have poor heat conduction properties surround many integrated circuit devices. Thus, the design of many integrated circuit devices increase the devices susceptibility to the negative effects of self-heating.
Accordingly, it may be advantageous for some types of electrical devices within an integrated circuit to be in thermal contact with a heat sink through a thermal conductive path. Additionally, the better the thermal conductor of the conductive path, the more heat may be dissipated by the heat sink, allowing the electrical device to function at higher current levels without destroying itself due to heat. Also an electrical device with a heat sink may better operate within narrow design specifications while conducting large amounts of current.
It should be noted that the best thermal conductors are typically also electrical conductors. Additionally, contacting an electrically conducting thermal conductor to an electrical device and a heat sink will typical short the electrical device to ground. Accordingly, a thermal path is needed which conducts heat well, but does not conduct electricity.